Instinct

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Instinct \In*stinct"\, a. [L. instinctus, p. p. of instinguere
     to instigate, incite; cf. instigare to instigate. Cf.
     {Instigate}, {Distinguish}.]
     Urged or stimulated from within; naturally moved or impelled;
     imbued; animated; alive; quick; as, birds instinct with life.
     [1913 Webster]


  
           The chariot of paternal deity . . .
           Itself instinct with spirit, but convoyed
           By four cherubic shapes.                 --Milton.
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           A noble performance, instinct with sound principle.
                                                    --Brougham.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Instinct \In"stinct\ ([i^]n"st[i^][ng]kt), n. [L. instinctus
     instigation, impulse, fr. instinguere to instigate: cf. F.
     instinct. See {Instinct}, a.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. Natural inward impulse; unconscious, involuntary, or
        unreasoning prompting to any mode of action, whether
        bodily, or mental, without a distinct apprehension of the
        end or object to be accomplished.
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              An instinct is a propensity prior to experience, and
              independent of instructions.          --Paley.
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              An instinct is a blind tendency to some mode of
              action, independent of any consideration, on the
              part of the agent, of the end to which the action
              leads.                                --Whately.
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              An instinct is an agent which performs blindly and
              ignorantly a work of intelligence and knowledge.
                                                    --Sir W.
                                                    Hamilton.
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              By a divine instinct, men's minds mistrust
              Ensuing dangers.                      --Shak.
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     2. (Zool.) Specif., the natural, unreasoning, impulse by
        which an animal is guided to the performance of any
        action, without thought of improvement in the method.
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              The resemblance between what originally was a habit,
              and an instinct becomes so close as not to be
              distinguished.                        --Darwin.
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     3. A natural aptitude or knack; a predilection; as, an
        instinct for order; to be modest by instinct.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Instinct \In*stinct"\ ([i^]n*st[i^][ng]kt"), v. t.
     To impress, as an animating power, or instinct. [Obs.]
     --Bentley.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  instinct
       adj : (followed by `with')deeply filled or permeated; "imbued with
             the spirit of the Reformation"; "words instinct with
             love"; "it is replete with misery" [syn: {instinct(p)},
              {replete(p)}]
       n : inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific
           stimuli; "the spawning instinct in salmon"; "altruistic
           instincts in social animals" [syn: {inherent aptitude}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  120 Moby Thesaurus words for "instinct":
     a thing for, ability, affinity, aptitude, aptness,
     archetypal pattern, archetype, automatic response,
     automatic writing, automatism, bent, bias, blind impulse,
     brain wave, brainstorm, bump, caliber, capability, capacity, cast,
     collective unconscious, compulsiveness, conatus, conditioning,
     conduciveness, delight, diathesis, disposition, dower, dowry,
     drive, eagerness, echolalia, echopraxia, empathy, endowment,
     equipment, faculty, fancy, feel, feeling, feeling for, flair,
     flash, fleeting impulse, forte, genius, gift, gut response, id,
     impulse, inborn proclivity, inclination, inspiration,
     instinctiveness, intuition, involuntariness, involuntary impulse,
     knack, leaning, liability, libido, liking, long suit, makings,
     metier, natural endowment, natural gift, natural impulse,
     natural instinct, natural tendency, notion, parts, penchant,
     potential, power, powers, predilection, predisposition, prejudice,
     primitive self, probability, proclivity, proneness, propensity,
     qualification, quick hunch, readiness, reflex, reflex action,
     sensitivity, sensitivity to, sheer chemistry, sixth sense, skill,
     soft spot, speciality, strong flair, strong point, subconscious,
     subconscious urge, sudden thought, susceptibility, talent, talents,
     tendency, the goods, the stuff, tropism, turn, twist,
     unlearned capacity, unreasoning impulse, unwilledness, urge,
     vital impulse, warp, weakness, what it takes, willingness